In a public address on Sunday, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said Yoon will no longer be involved in foreign and domestic affairs until his early resignation – adding that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would manage government affairs in the meantime.
“The President will not be involved in any state affairs including diplomacy before his exit,” said party leader Han.
However, Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae described the proposed plan as “an illegal, unconstitutional second insurrection and a second coup”.
Representative Kim Min-seok of the Democratic Party similarly criticised the plan, saying “nobody gave” PPP leader Han the power to make such decisions.
“The prime minister and the ruling party’s announcement that they would jointly exercise the powers of the president, which no one has given them, is clearly unconstitutional,” he said, according to a report on The Korea Herald.
The Ministry of National Defence confirmed at a briefing on Monday that the president retains command of the armed forces. That means in the event of any foreign policy incidents, including any possible threat from North Korea, Yoon is still, in theory, able to make executive decisions.
“The president can take the lead again any time he changes his mind,” political science professor Shin Yul of Myongji University told The Korea Herald.
“No one will be able to stop him, if Yoon insists.”